BEIJING — Recent changes in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) leadership reveal that President Xi Jinping’s efforts to rebuild China’s military top brass remain incomplete amid a sweeping anti-corruption purge.

According to the South China Morning Post, as many as 20 key PLA positions have been reassigned following the purges. Analysts note that while newly promoted full generals have taken charge of important commands, many senior roles are occupied by acting or unconfirmed officers, suggesting a narrower pool of trusted leaders and uncertainty over the final leadership lineup.

Nathan Attrill, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), told CNA, “The PLA is restoring day-to-day command and organisational continuity faster than Xi Jinping is rebuilding confidence in the officers now filling senior roles.” He added that Xi remains cautious about granting permanent appointments and full institutional authority to many officers.

The upheaval has effectively reduced the seven-member Central Military Commission (CMC), formed after the 20th Party Congress in 2022, to only two active members: Xi as chairman and vice-chairman Zhang Shengmin.

Shanshan Mei, a political scientist at the RAND Corporation, said formal appointments have appeared in some of the most strategically important commands, including the Eastern and Central theatres. However, a much larger layer of lower-ranked, unannounced acting officers manages many other roles.

Officers with air force backgrounds have gained prominence in the emerging leadership, with figures such as Wang, Yang, and Han formally elevated to senior commands, according to Wilder from Georgetown University.

The former 31st Group Army, reorganized as the 73rd Group Army in 2017 and based in Fujian, has drawn scrutiny because senior officers linked to this unit, including former CMC members He and Miao, are viewed as part of a Fujian-linked cohort with ties to Xi’s years working in the province.

These developments indicate that while the PLA maintains operational continuity, Xi Jinping’s military leadership overhaul is still a work in progress.

Sources